Exeter City's Matt Taylor takes heart from performance as League Two promotion race goes to the wire

Exeter City manager Matt Taylor during the Sky Bet League Two match between Stevenage v Exeter City on April 22nd 2019 at The Lamex Stadium, Stevenage, Hertfordshire, England. (Photo by Gareth Davies/PPAUK)

Two games to go and anything can happen. A 1-1 draw at Stevenage may have been deemed as two points dropped by Exeter City, but with those immediately beneath them failing to win as well, it is pretty much as you were in the race for a play-off place in League Two.

The only thing that was made certain was Forest Green Rovers confirming their place in the end of season lottery with a 2-1 win over Cambridge United. Beneath them, the Grecians (66 points) clung onto the final play-off spot with that draw at Stevenage and extended the lead to two points over Colkchester (64), who moved up to eighth on goal difference with a 1-1 draw at Yeovil Town.

Carlisle United (64) lost to a last minute goal at Grimsby, then come Stevenage (64) and then Newport County (64), who have it all in their hands now as they have a game in hand which is played next Tuesday, when they face Oldham Athletic who are also in with a late shout of the play-offs (62).

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“Like I said to the group, it will go down to the wire, I am sure of that. We have to recover well now and go into Oldham playing like that,” manager Matt Taylor said after the draw at Stavenage.

The Oldham game is certainly huge. The Grecians can end the Latics’ promotion hopes with a win at St James’ Park, but a win for the away side would give them hope as they – along with Newport – have that potentially crucial game in hand.

As for City, they simply have to focus on themselves and after the disappointment of the Good Friday defeat at home to Crawley Town, they at least performed well and were unfortunate not to come away from Stevenage with maximum points having been the better side.

“We can’t do much more in terms of the performance,” Taylor said. “We can break it down into minor details, but I’ve said to that group of players that if we approach the game like we did, on the front foot and pressing and running ourselves into the ground, then we give ourselves a chance.

“We did that against a good Stevenage team who are in form. We have created chances and I am not sure how the ball hasn’t gone in the goal and if I had a minor criticism, it would be finishing it off and the poor goal that we conceded.

“I felt that, as a team, we showed how much we wanted in in terms of being on the front foot and attacking that game. We made all the running and I feel we were the better team and that’s no disrespect to Stevenage, who are a good team. We just couldn’t quite get that all-important goal.”

Randell Williams of Exeter City during the Sky Bet League Two match between Stevenage v Exeter City on April 22nd 2019 at The Lamex Stadium, Stevenage, Hertfordshire, England. (Photo by Gareth Davies/PPAUK)

Taylor’s selection saw him play a more fluid front three with Ryan Bowman, who netted Exeter’s equaliser, flanked by Lee Martin and Randell Williams.

Williams has been something of an enigma since arriving in Devon, but his performance at Broadhall Way was arguably his best yet in a City shirt.

“Randell was very lively,” Taylor said. “He plays a certain way and we have to keep his mind and body active when he’s not on the ball so he’s got to stay active in the game when he’s not in possession, but he was a threat today.

“I felt he grew in confidence as the game went on. I think, when he checked inside and hit the underside of the crossbar, that gave him the belief.

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“We believe in him, we really do, but we need to see it more often and consistently because he is a young player and people forget he is a young player just because we brought him into the club, but young players aren’t as consistent as the ones that have been around and played hundreds and hundreds of games.

“But he was the threat that I wanted. I selected a certain team today and he was part of that, along with Lee Martin and Ryan, and that was to have pace and power at the top end of the pitch.”